Seasonal treats in store at Drake’s

PUBLISHED: 13:31 27 October 2015

Drake's Restaurant

Archant

Our Surrey Life Food and Drink Awards’ Chef of the Year for the second year running, Steve Drake’s food just gets better and better and you will be well advised to secure your pre pre-Christmas bookings soon.

Privately owned by Steve and Serina Drake, Drake’s Restaurant sits proudly in a prominent spot set back from the traffic in Ripley High Street. On entering the elegant Georgian building, one finds a stylish blend of contemporary touches complementing the original oak beams and classic Georgian features. Relax and linger in the cosy oak panelled cocktail bar before or after your meal.

The menus celebrate the very best seasonal produce. Steve’s food has a strong emphasis on flavour and texture and while some dishes may appear to be deceptively simple, layers of labour and time intensive preparation behind the scenes will have gone into their creation. Although classically trained, he has built on these strong foundations to develop his very personal style of cooking. His food is contemporary, and has been acknowledged with a Michelin star for over a decade.

Provenance of ingredients is paramount to Steve; his autumn menus contain a wide range of ingredients, usually from small scale or artisan producers, but all at their seasonal peak. Meat and game - such as guinea fowl, grouse or quail - responsibly sourced seafood and an interesting and diverse range of vegetables, fruits and other ingredients, all play their part in the creation of the menu.

The eclectic wine list offers another voyage of discovery; sommelier Michael Fiducia’s selection also embraces small-scale producers (including local English vineyards) and there is something to suit all tastes and budgets, plus a wide selection of wines by the glass and pairings for the tasting menus. Service is friendly and relaxed, yet highly professional, as befits an establishment of this standing, but be assured, it is far from stuffy.

A range of menus is offered, from the superb value set lunch, through to Steve’s signature nine-course Discovery tasting menu. Guests with varying appetites and time constraints can still enjoy the whole Drake’s experience with the six-course Journey menu, or a la carte option of a two, three, four or five course meal. There is also a Vegetable Discovery menu, which is enjoyed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. The menus change seasonally and the new lunch menu, changing monthly, is always eagerly anticipated by regular customers.

Drake’s is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and lunch Wednesday to Saturday. Bookings are now being taken for the festive season, when it is open until, and including, dinner on Christmas Eve.